Diesel Tankers Heading To France Divert Amid Port Strikes

Several diesel-laden tankers heading to France’s Le Havre port diverted to other destinations in the region recently, as ongoing strike actions halted operations at many French ports Bloomberg ship-tracking data show.

• The STI Guide, which was loaded with about 700k bbl of ultra-low sulfur diesel from Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, was anchored off the coast of Le Havre from 12-14 March, according to fixture reports, ship tracking and Vortexa data compiled by Bloomberg.
• The vessel then sailed toward Antwerp before making a u-turn on 15 March, heading to the French port of La Rochelle.
• The Proteus Stephanie, also loaded about 670k bbl of diesel from Yanbu and initially signaled Le Havre for 7 March. The tanker was anchored of the French port for about three days before sailing to Antwerp, where it discharged the cargo.
• The Maritime Polaris has also been diverted away from Le Havre to Morocco in recent days.
• Separately, the STI Selatar and Suvretta hauling jet fuel from the East of Suez to Le Havre have been diverted to Rotterdam and the UK’s Milford Haven, respectively, in recent days.
• The loss in diesel output in March is estimated at 230kbpd according to FGE.